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August 28, 2008

Pfizer Launches New Bladder Drug

by Sam Savage

Pfizer has launched Toviaz, a new once daily treatment for the symptoms of overactive bladder.

Toviaz (fesoterodine) is available as a 4mg and 8mg prolonged-release tablet. In trials, initial treatment effect was seen as early as two weeks after the start of therapy with fesoterodine. In addition, the medicine was generally well tolerated.

In two 12-week long, international clinical trials, fesoterodine significantly improved the symptoms of overactive bladder compared to placebo, (at least three quarters of patients said their condition improved or greatly improved on the medicine compared with 53% on placebo) and patients taking fesoterodine also showed significant and consistent improvement in health related quality of life compared to placebo.

Fesoterodine is an antimuscarinic drug which works by relaxing the muscles found in the wall of the bladder, decreasing sudden uncontrollable bladder contractions and increasing bladder capacity.